LIVEWell

Stretch Out

Yoga really is for everyone. Here is how the practice can benefit your health and how you can get started.

Yoga is not just for the super flexible or the seasoned yogi; it has the power to provide long-term health benefits for everyone.

“From a medical standpoint, yoga brings oxygen into the body and muscles, and it creates space so you can reduce inflammation,” says Karen RaischSiegel, executive director at LifeWorks of Southwest General, Middleburg Heights.

If you’re deskbound most of the day, yoga can stretch areas of the body that weaken with sitting all the time, namely the hip flexors.

“If you think about it, when your legs are at a 90-degree angle for a sustained period, you are shortening that muscle that connects to your torso, so yoga can help with that and improve posture,” Raisch-Siegel explains.

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Balance is another yoga bonus, as is deep breathing for meditation, which improves mental health and elevates mindfulness.

“Yoga can shut down your mind, which can result in better sleep too,” Raisch-Siegel says.

If not sure about a yoga class fullposes and while hot yoga occurs in a space that is 90 to 108 and involves more cardiovascular fitness. The yoga experience also varies instructor, out. a class and see how it she says. “And if it’s not your thing, maybe check out another class

If you’re not sure about braving a yoga class full of other people, try out a yoga app or an online video to get acquainted with the different stretches. There are seven different types of yoga. Traditional Hatha yoga is centered on sustaining poses and deep breathing, while hot yoga occurs in a space that is 90 to 108 degrees and involves more cardiovascular fitness. The yoga experience also varies by instructor, Raisch-Siegel points out.

“Try a class and see how it feels,” she says. “And if it’s not your thing, maybe check out another class to see if that instructor speaks to you.”

Kristen Hampshire